Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A Induced by Dense Nanocavities Inside Aligned 2D-TiO2 Nanostructures

Snejana Bakardjieva, Radek Fajgar, Ivo Jakubec, Eva Koci, Alexander Zhigunov, Efthalia Chatzisymeon, Konstantina Davididou

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The preparation of materials with aligned porosity in the nanometer range is of technological importance for a wide range of applications in molecular filtration, biomaterials and catalysis. Herein we present the advantages offered by cryo – lyophilisation technique as a smart and green non-standard concept to produce dense regular polyhedral nanocavities inside the 2D TiO2 nanosheets. Hierarchical morphologies of nanocavities start to appear at temperature higher than 800 °C and are strongly influenced by polymorph TiO2 evolution competing reactions. The small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis confirms self-assembled 3D nanocavities with size range from 5 to 10 nm in both length and width, and depth ˜3.6 nm formed after realising of the confined ice-water. It was found that nanocavities enhance significantly the absorption properties of TiO2 in the UV region, thereby providing a new approach to increase the photoreactivity of 2D TiO2 nanosheets. The annealed precursors containing aqueous solution of peroxo polytitanic acid (PPTA) at 800 °C exhibited the highest photoactivity in degrading bisphenol A (BPA) due to evenly distributed nanocavities inside single anatase TiO2 nanocrystals interconnected and aligned onto the 2D TiO2 nanosheet arrays.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCatalysis today
Early online date19 Dec 2018
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 19 Dec 2018

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • freeze-drying
  • Anatase TiO2
  • nanoconfined water
  • nanocavities
  • Photocatalysis
  • emerging pollutants

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